


Cause [Pt. 1]

by go_ask_ash



Series: Trial and Error [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Asexual Character, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Reno, Trans Rufus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26014978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/go_ask_ash/pseuds/go_ask_ash
Summary: Rufus confides in Reno about his past, and catches the Turk off guard.
Relationships: Reno/Rufus Shinra, Rufus Shinra/Reno
Series: Trial and Error [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888198
Kudos: 4





	Cause [Pt. 1]

**Author's Note:**

> This entry got a bit long, so I had to break it into two parts! Part one is all the heavy stuff, and I promise part two will be back to the fun!

Rufus sighed and put his hand over his eyes to shield them from the massive amount of paperwork now piled on the desk.   
A few feet away the Turk adjusted his gaze, noticing the dark circles and pallid color on the VP’s face.   
“You’re gonna dig yourself an early grave with all these long days, _sir_. Least you'll leave a real pretty corpse.” 

He shot Reno a look. “And what do you expect to be done about it? Shinra never sleeps and it seems that I am destined for the same. While we’re on the subject, a pot of coffee is going to be necessary. This may turn out to be a long night.”   
“Oh?” He smirked and raised an eyebrow, “Do tell me more..”   
This was their routine now, Rufus giving orders and Reno firing back with an inappropriate comment or proposition. It would have gotten anyone else fired on the spot. Two years on this ‘extended business assignment’ had brought them quite close, and Reno’s ridiculous banter was one of the few things keeping Rufus sane. Not that he would ever admit to enjoying it.

“ **Reno. _Coffee_.**”

When the clock read 2:46am they were well into their second pot of the night. Hours had passed reviewing endless reports and observing surveillance. Rufus’s phone suddenly rang, jolting the two out of their fog.   
“Understood. That can be arranged. No no, 15:00. I’ll be there.” Click.   
“We have a highly classified meeting in Costa tomorrow. Have the helicopter ready in 20 minutes.”   
“Yes, Boss. I’ll be waitin’ for ya.”   
“And Reno,” he waited until their eyes locked. “Not one soul outside of this room will hear of this.”   
A quick nod of understanding and Reno was out the door and on the helipad getting prepared. When the VP appeared (not in his usual white suit but a black overcoat and dashing newsboy cap?) the two jumped in and took off without a word.   
They rode in silence most of the short flight.   
When the city peeked over the horizon, Rufus said over the comm, “Land us on the Shinra building, business as usual. Inside the hangar there is an elevator with a keypad- secluded, looks like it’s for maintenance. Walk straight there. Don’t speak until we are in the apartment. Understood?”  
“Roger that.”

Reno followed Rufus straight to the elevator upon landing, for once in his life staying silent despite all the questions buzzing about his head like killer bees. The ‘maintenance’ elevator had only one button, and went to the 21st floor.   
_‘Odd, all of the lodging in the building was on floors 16-19. Above that was.. storage? Materials containment? Pretty much the equivalent of a Shinra broom closet until floor 25.’_ The lift opened to a drab looking hallway with one door. Rufus entered another passcode and tilted his head for Reno to follow.   
Inside was a very posh, albeit extremely tiny, studio apartment. Nothing about the entrance to this space would have given away such luxury digs on the other side.  
“Welcome to my own private jail cell,” Rufus said, lifting his hands as if to show it off. “Not too shabby, for a million gil prison. I’d give you the grand tour, but what I’d really like to do is have a shower before I am dead on my feet. You have to be exhausted as well?”

Indeed he was, but it was his job and number one priority to ensure everything was safe. “Go on in and shower or whatever, I gotta do a once over out here first.”   
He performed the usual perimeter checks twice over (can’t have anything happening on his watch) which didn’t take long being that the entire apartment was one common room, a tiny kitchen with a bar, and the master suite. Confident that everything was secure, Reno was ready to change out of his suit and finally catch some zzzs. 

First thing he noticed was precisely one bed in the center of the room. Second was Rufus, standing near the window drying his hair with a towel. All of the air left Reno’s body with a quiet _oh_.   
Rufus fucking Shinra just **had** to be gorgeous. Couldn’t give the poor Turk a break by having copious amounts of back hair or a hideous birthmark hidden underneath that white suit. _Gaia_. He looked.. otherworldly, like a drawing or a sculpture brought to life. Muscular and toned, no tattoos or piercings, there wasn’t a single flaw on his body. Not even…

“ _You’re staring_.”

“Sorry Boss-   
I just couldn’t help but wonder why ya need to wear five layers of clothing when you look like _that_ underneath,” Welp, ~~that just kind of spilled out~~. Maybe today was a good day to die. He laughed and tried to deflect the embarrassment rising in his cheeks. “Although, I still got Gaia’s greatest gift right here,” motioning to his chest for maximum effect. He spoke the line with usual bravado but behind it was the faintest twinge of insecurity.

“Don’t make me regret sharing a bed with you.” Rufus narrowed his eyes with the threat, but the tiny smirk gave his teasing away. “We are _sleeping_. Don’t get any ideas. Now I’m tired so hurry up.” 

Reno quickly prepared for bed and was mindful to throw on a tank top before appearing in front of Rufus again. Once they were lying down he expected it would be only moments before he fell asleep. But it didn’t happen. His body was exhausted, but his mind raced and refused to still. What made it worse is that he could tell Rufus was not relaxing either. The tension flowed off of him in waves and Reno was worried perhaps he had offended him somehow.   
“What’s up boss? Can’t sleep? Promise I don’t bite, and I was only teasing ya earlier.”

He sighed, heavy and defeated. The sound made Reno’s chest clinch.   
“This place brings back so many horrible memories. And even though everything is different now, it still haunts me. Honestly I didn’t think it would be a problem to stay here and now, I’m regretting it more by the minute.”  
“You wanna talk about it? Y’know I don’t judge anybody’s shit- coming up from slum trash it’s not like I got any airs to put on. Sometimes just sayin stuff out loud takes a load off.”

Rufus turned over to face him. He looked _tired_ ; yet grateful and a little confused as to why the redhead would even be willing to listen. “When I told my father about my identity, he didn’t understand a word of it. The man has his head so far up his own asshole he barely acknowledged the fact that he had a child at all. I explained to him the hormone therapy and that I planned to proceed with it, and that I wished to be called Rufus in the future. _‘We can’t have you causing a scene and giving Shinra a bad name. You can do whatever you like with yourself as long as it’s out of my sight,’_ were his exact words. He decided to place me out here in Costa, to keep this off of the Midgar radar. Tseng was my unofficial guardian. He gave me my lessons, took me to doctors, helped with my medications. The very last thing Father said before locking me away was ‘ _Don’t come back unless you’re worthy of being the son I’ve always wanted._ ’ Three years later, he came to visit and must have decided that I finally was. Every day since then has been a fight to prove I am not only good enough, but a thousand times _more_ of a man and a leader than he ever will be. And now, here I am, a prisoner again! The day I am rid of that bastard can’t come soon enough.” 

There was silence as Reno processed this, so very different from his own life- scraping by under the plate where no one cared if he lived or died. His struggle alone was hard, but Rufus, with all the pressure and expectation weighing on him constantly, no doubt suffered worse. He turned with a pained look and buried his face down in the pillows. 

Reno had never seen him look so _human_. He reached out a hand and slowly, gently, smoothed it over soft blonde hair. And again, this time lingering with a few strands between his fingers. Rufus visibly relaxed at the touch. “Is this.. okay?” Reno asked quietly.  
He nodded but kept his face hidden. “Actually, it feels quite nice, and might help me relax. You may continue,” was all he replied. 

  
Very gently, Reno swept a damp lock of hair away from Rufus’s face. The last thing he wanted was to frighten or upset him somehow. The Turk was no fool, this was a side of himself the VP shared with no one. Being granted this level of trust meant more than all the accolades in his career. For half an hour Reno buried his fingers in his hair, meticulously working over every lock until it was mostly dry. The sound of breathing became slow and even, and he got up the nerve to move his hands down to brush over Rufus’s neck and shoulders- light as a feather, an unspoken question. He leaned into Reno’s touch. It went without saying they were both desperate for human comfort. Rufus, who had probably never received a loving touch in his life, nor had he ever thought he desired it; and Reno who wanted only to protect and provide for his newly found family. While he ran his hands over strong shoulders and smooth skin, his own muscles seemed to relax and the tension poured out of his body and mind. No thoughts. Only slow movement, quiet breathing, warm skin, _safe_. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so calm.

Just when Reno’s eyes were starting to close, Rufus tilted his head back against his ear, “Why are you doing this? Why would you want to do these things for me?”  
There were a million answers on the tip of his tongue. _Because I can see you need this. Because I actually need this. Because we both are horribly touch starved. Because I care for you. Because you’ve earned my respect and my admiration and trust and I just need a safe place with no expectations or judgement to feel a **genuine** connection. _  
All of those things would have sounded pretty hollow and stupid if he had attempted to say them out loud.   
“ _Because I’m your Turk, that’s why.”_  
This seemed to suffice. He made a sleepy ‘hmmmm’ sound. ~~Adorable.~~   
No longer afraid for his life or livelihood, Reno snuggled up against Rufus’s back and lightly threw an arm over him before finally drifting off to sleep. 

Tomorrow was going to be better. He already had a plan. And there was a strong chance that Rufus was going to hate it. Oh well..

**Author's Note:**

> I both love and hate this work, because Rufus in pain puts me in pain, yet Reno tries his best to do a help!


End file.
